A SOLDIER was killed while another was wounded in an attack by alleged members of the New People’s Army (NPA) in Lumintao, Quezon, Bukidnon, on Monday, April 30.
The military, however, refused to identify the two soldiers whom they said are members of the 88th Infantry Battalion's Community Support Program Security Team deployed at Sitio Sto. Domingo in said village.
The victims were tasked to gather necessary documents in supporting the residents for a follow-up of their livelihood assistance.
Reports said they wore civilian clothes and unarmed while onboard a motorcycle when an undetermined number of communist rebels had treacherously opened fire at them.
The body of the slain soldier was brought to a funeral home while the wounded one was evacuated to a nearest treatment facility for medical attention.
"This inconsiderate attack upsets me. My heart laments with the grieving family for their loss. Rest assured that we will seek justice for the families of the aggrieved soldiers," said Lieutenant Colonel Randy Remonte, commanding officer of the 88IB.
Brigadier General Eric Vinoya, commander of the 403rd Infantry Brigade, also denounced the Maoist guerillas for their criminal acts of murdering a devoted soldier who only served the residents to achieve lasting peace in Bukidnon.
"This harsh attack only showed that these NPA terrorists were threatened by our thrust to assist the conflict-resilient communities to finally achieve development. This was a clear manifestation that NPA terrorists were anti-development and resistant to progress. While our soldiers thrive to promote economic growth to insurgency-affected areas, they attacked and ambushed our soldiers in a deceitful manner," Vinoya said.
Vinoya also said he was dismayed for the loss of a soldier and the wounding of the other as he assailed the true color of the NPA rebels’ ideology.
"We are deeply saddened by this incident. We have lost a brother who is willing to sacrifice his life to serve his countrymen. To the NPA criminals, your claims that you are fighting for an ideology is blatantly implausible since you are resorting to criminal acts of killing. We will not be distracted by this, we will even be more relentless in our thrust of helping the communities achieve a lasting peace," Vinoya further said.